Rapper Arrested in Australia After ‘Significant Disturbance’: Details on Spanian’s Incident

Australian rapper and YouTube sensation Spanian was arrested in Bridgewater, South Australia, last week. The musician, 38, was taken into police custody and charged with instigating the commission of a simple offence after police responded to “a reported disturbance” at a gathering in Hobart’s north.

A spokesperson from Tasmania Police confirmed that officers “responded to a reported disturbance in Bridgewater this afternoon, in which a significant number of people were allegedly engaging in hooning and antisocial behaviour.” The “significant disturbance” was reportedly caused by Spanian’s visit, according to Pulse Tasmania. Videos shared to social media showed hundreds of people flooding the streets and congregating near the local shopping center, ultimately forcing the closure of nearby shops and supermarkets. According to authorities, some in the crowd began engaging in “dangerous behaviors,” with one video showing a person stomping and smashing the windshield of a police vehicle.

Amid the unrest, police attempted to disperse the crowd, with an officer heard telling the large group, “Time to get going lads … Formal direction to leave Lamprill Circle for 12 hours. I believe you are going to commit an offence of disorderly conduct. If you can’t leave or return in 12 hours you will be subject to arrest.” However, many ignored the instructions, with some even spewing insults at the officers.

Although nobody was injured in the incident, authorities confirmed that three police vehicles were “extensively damaged” and two police officers were allegedly assaulted at the scene. Authorities also confirmed that one person was arrested in connection to the incident, with several media outlets identifying Spanian as that person. The rapper was allegedly charged with inciting a disturbance. He was released from jail after posting bail and is set to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court in July, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, with officers working to identify others who may have committed crimes.

“Due to the circumstances on Saturday, it was very difficult for police to be able to do anything more than just try to disperse the crowd but … there were a number of offences identified from traffic offences to damage to the police vehicles to assault police,” Commander Elmer said. “That investigation is ongoing. We are reviewing footage. There’s quite a bit of footage in the public domain that we are reviewing, there’s footage from our police officers.”

This is not the rapper’s first run-in with police. Spanian reportedly spent 13 years in and out of prison before he turned 30, having been arrested on various charges ranging from assault, drug and other related convictions. However, more recently, he vowed to “never spend a night in jail again.”